I love weight tracking
If weighing scales trigger you please move past this post…
I love using a dashboard in my notebook or bullet journal to track my health metrics. I don’t do this to beat myself up or to punish myself. I use this table or data to get really curious about what is changing and what is staying the same. I also like to see the data. You may not and that is a personal preference.
For me it’s about having a complete picture - my weight, the fat percentage, the muscle percentage, body measurements and also notes on how I’m feeling and what I’m doing. This ties into my journaling and weekly reflection. It’s a complete holistic process [one you can learn about in my upcoming Wellness Goal setting kit launching January 2025]
Every Monday morning I weigh myself using my smart scales and then I record the data into this table. I try to keep the weigh-in at the same time after waking up to ensure consistency but sometimes life happens and that’s ok.
I also tell myself before I step on the scales “Whatever number they show it’s purely data that I am tracking and doesn’t mean I am a bad person if it has gone up or a good person if it has gone down. It is just a number that is a useful metric and one that I have complete control over changing long term in a sustainable way.
Conventionally a lot of personal trainers say to disregard the scales using phrases like the naughty step or sad scales etc but for me I find that without this data I don’t have a way to track my physical metrics or see small progress. My weight tracking dashboard allows me to get curious when I make small tweaks to diet and lifestyle. It allows me to see what effects change in diet, routine and exercise have on my body. Without getting obsessed because I know that changes don’t instantly reflect on the scales.
It’s about doing what feels right to you, want to take measurements of your body and not weigh yourself? Then do that! Want to weigh yourself and not do measurements of waist and bust etc etc? Then do that! Want to weigh in and do measurements? Then do that! There is no one way that is the right way that works. All methods are successful in their own ways so long as you feel good and can maintain them long term without shaming or guilting yourself into harsh diet plans or restrictive processes that eliminate fun.